Jack and Zughred clashed their blades fiercely, parrying and trading blow after blow. Jack's sword slid along Zughred's greataxe and cut across his belly. Spinning behind the orc's back, Jack charged his blade with fiery energy and unleashed a massive slash, erupting into an explosion and a towering pillar of flame.
Zughred burst out of the pillar of flame in a fit of rage, his skin scorched by the fire. With a furious roar, he unleashed a vertical slash at Jack, sending a shockwave through the ground. Jack braced himself and blocked the attack with his sword as the earth cracked beneath his feet. His bones cracked under the sheer force of Zughred's impact.
"Gh!"
The two clashed blades once more, but Zughred's strikes grew increasingly aggressive. Jack parried each blow as best he could, his arms straining against the orc's power. With two fingers raised, he conjured an earthen wall before Zughred. The orc shattered it with a mighty swing of his greataxe, only to find Jack driving his blade straight into the center of his chest.
Jack's sword pulsed with icy energy, freezing Zughred from within. But Zughred erupted in a surge of lightning-infused rage, his berserk aura exploding outward and hurling Jack back with a massive shockwave. As Jack steadied himself, he watched in awe as Zughred's body swelled with power, his muscles bulging and his form growing larger than any of the elite orcs.
"Oh come on!"
Zughred raised his greataxe, gathering strength for a devastating blow. Jack hurled his sword skyward, then turned to face the watching warriors. With a sharp clap of his hands, he spread his arms wide, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that parted the warriors, clearing the path for Zughred's attack.
The moment Zughred's greataxe struck the ground, Jack leaped into the air and caught his falling sword mid-flight. The orc's massive blow tore a blazing line across the battlefield, erupting in a wave of destruction. Had Jack not cleared the path, the attack would have obliterated both the knights and the orc warriors alike.
Jack hovered above Zughred, sustained by his mastery of wind. The orc chieftain glared up at him and unleashed a furious swing of his greataxe, sending waves of slashing energy through the air. Jack raised a powerful wind barrier, shielding himself as the flying blades ripped through the clouds, shredding them into hundreds of fragments.
Jack dispelled his wind barrier and summoned fifty small orbs of light behind him. With a wave of his hand, they burst forth, unleashing a relentless barrage of radiant energy toward Zughred. The orc chieftain raised his guard against the storm of light, but Jack was already descending, his sword crackling with lightning as he struck a powerful downward slash across Zughred's chest. He didn't stop there; in a blur of motion, Jack dashed around his foe, slashing again and again, faster each time, until his movements became a storm of afterimages wreathed in lightning.
The orc chieftain could barely react; Jack moved too fast for him to strike back. Though he guarded and shielded himself, he still felt every slash, every surge of lightning burning through his wounds. With a thunderous roar, Zughred slammed his arms downward, unleashing his full rage. The shockwave of his fury sent warriors on both sides staggering. Even Jack was thrown off balance, just long enough for Zughred to swing his massive arm, seize him in his grasp, and send his sword clattering to the ground.
"GOT YOU NOW!!!"
But then he realized, he hadn't caught Jack at all. In his grasp was an ice replica, perfectly shaped to resemble Jack.
"What the-"
The moment he realized it, the ice figure detonated, freezing Zughred's arm in an instant. Frost spread rapidly, tearing through his flesh with biting cold until the entire limb was encased in ice.
"GAAAAHH!!"
He felt a sharp pain as his left ankle was punched, forcing him down onto one knee. Before he could even look up, a brutal uppercut struck his jaw; it felt as if molten rock had smashed into him, burning and crushing at once. Disoriented, he couldn't comprehend what had happened; everything unfolded too fast for him to react.
Zughred collapsed to the ground. As he opened his eyes, he saw something descending through the storm. His vision cleared, Jack was falling from above, his entire body crackling with storm-charged energy, lightning surging through his right fist. With a thunderous roar, Jack dove toward him and drove his fist into Zughred's chest, unleashing a blinding strike of lightning that erupted in a shockwave of dust and thunder.
A gust of dust swept across the battlefield after Jack's strike. As the haze slowly cleared, the warriors gathered around the massive crater to witness the aftermath. At its center stood Jack, faint traces of lightning still flickering around him, his molten left arm crumbling away. Before him lay the fallen orc chieftain, his body shrinking back to its original size.
"HOOOO!!! JACK HAS DEFEATED THE LEADER OF THE SABERTOOTH!!!"
"Huzzah!!!"
"Huzzah!!!"
All the knights of House Drace cheered and shouted in celebration of Jack's triumph. Jack glared at the remains of the orc warriors, catching his breath.
"Now then...you all must honor...this tradition."
The orc warriors exchanged uncertain glances, knowing they had to honor the sacred tradition of the duel. One by one, they dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender, allowing the knights to step forward with drawn blades and take them captive.
Jack's father slid down into the crater and ran toward him, while Jack slowly walked to meet his father halfway.
"Well, how was it?"
"Well... he almost had me when I lost my grip on my sword. Didn't think he'd suddenly grow that big."
"You think so? You should've seen the monster I fought before; now that one was massive."
"Haha..."
Jack took one step forward, but the bones in his right leg cracked, and he collapsed, only for his father to catch him just in time.
"Whoa there, you haven't fully healed up yet. I'll get you up."
Jack's father wrapped his right arm around his son's shoulders and then flew out of the crater using his astral ability, landing safely on the surface while carrying his son.
"So? What are they gonna do with the sabertooth tribe?"
"Let them decide what to do with the orcs, though I've already suggested taking them into custody."
Both of them stopped as they saw young Lord Lyodd sprint toward the knightly woman, tears streaming down his face. He threw his arms around her in a trembling embrace, crying out of worry and fear. The woman stood frozen, utterly bewildered, while the surrounding knights exchanged amused smirks at the unexpected display.
Jack and his father smiled at the pair, thinking they'd make a good couple.